In respect of the tradition 📍Bali, Indonesia 🇮🇩

Some days ago, we came to one of the sacred purification places in Bali, a smaller one, off the beaten track from the more popular places. It was a beautiful, ancient place. An oasis in the thick, deep-green jungle with a water pond at its centre, filled by a magnificent waterfall and several water fountains that had been installed probably centuries ago.

We waited for a couple of hours at its entrance because of the relentless monsoon rain. It felt like a kind of preparation to come slowly and in reverence to such a sacred place.

Once the rain passed, we could walk down and were spotted by a local guide who wanted to explain to us the procedure. Somehow, it didn’t feel right for us at that moment. Instead, we met a couple of men with bright eyes, one of them a local priest, who told us, “There is nothing you can do wrong as long as you honour the sacred site by praying with your whole heart, believe in what you’re doing, and purify what needs to be purified.”
These felt like profound and true instructions, but we still felt like fools, not knowing the procedure while everyone else was moving through their motions.
Several times, we thought of calling back the guide. But it was a special moment, humbling, as we faced the unknown and bowed down to spirit.

We were called to create our own ceremony with what we received:

It started by contemplation – observing the scene before us, emptying our mind.
Once we felt ready and serene, we sat down for prayer – communicating with spirit, and asking for further instructions.
We received the answers we needed for our personal ceremony and walked into the pond in meditation – absolute stillness, washing away attachments.
We walked out in true mindfulness, feeling light and complete.

It was special to create our own ceremony in respect of the tradition, rather than following it without understanding. As we learn more and go deeper into the tradition in our time here, we will be able to integrate it with who we are.